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Hindus have commended His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI for highlighting growing inequality between rich and poor.

In his homily at mass in Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City on New Year's Day, Pope reportedly said: … world is sadly marked by "hotbeds of tension and conflict caused by growing instances of inequality between rich and poor…"

Distinguished Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that "it was a step in the right direction" and urged Pope and other world's religious leaders to join hands together on the poverty, the monumental crisis and biggest challenge facing the world today, and make poverty eradication a moral priority.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, argued that religions should not remain silent spectators and should become active partners in helping world's poor and hungry as religion told us to help the helpless. An immediate, unified, collaborative, and coordinated action was required on the part of world religions to uplift the poor.

Do not let the excessive greed blind our minds and thus distract us from helping the poor. Ancient Sanskrit scripture Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord)also tells us to abandon three gates to self-destructive hell—greed, anger, and desire; Rajan Zed adds.

Zed pointed out that world religions should develop a global partnership to stamp out hunger and poverty. As the faith traditions told us to help the poor, so we as world's religious leaders should give priority to the needs of the poor.Poverty had lead to many other societal problems, which we faced today.

Religion was the most powerful and far-reaching force in our society, and besides poverty, it could also prove very influential in handling common concerns like human improvement, peace, ecological responsibility, social & economic development, etc., Rajan Zed stressed.

Pope Benedict heads the Roman Catholic Church headquartered in Vatican City, which is the largest of the Christian denominations. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.